Combination tie-plate, rail-anchor, and rail-brace.



F. M. SM

1TH. ANOHO ND RAIL BBAGE.

D MAB.

GOMBINATION TIE PLATE, BAIL APPLICATION FILE 1,070,926.

Patented Aug; 19, 1913.

FRANCIS M. SMITH, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

T o all whom it mag -concern.-

Be it 'known .that I, Flmxcrs M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at $6- attle, in the county of King and State of W asliingtom have invented-new and useful Improvements in Combination Tie-Plates, Rail-Anchor's, and Rail-Braces," of which thisispecification. JMyinvention-relates to an improved comthe following is a full, clear, concise, and ex act; description, reference, being had to. the accompanying"drawing, .forminga part of bination tieplate, rail anchor and rail brace.

- thereof.

'Iheobjectsof myinvention are to pro-- .v1de,-m a single dev ce, astrueture whichsatisfactorily performs the functions, of the three devices above enumerated; to'provide such a device in a form which lends itself to economical manufacture, and which may be readily appliedto the rail: and to provide a device which. after being applied to the rail, maintains an effective hold thereon, throughout long continued service. I

' Other objects may be readily inferred, and

numerous advantages inherent in the pre-' ferred form of device illustrated herein will be apparent from the subsequent. description The invention the. embodiment thereof illustrated, as -it may be embodied in other forms.

In"the drawings, Figurel is an end ele .vation, and Fig. Zis a top plan "view of'a structure which will serve to illustrate-the invention.

-. The rail 1 iseillustrated as being supported b the-usual cross tie 2, tlle combinedtie p ate, rail anclior and rail brace being secured to the rail and tie and interposed between the two. Said combined device consists of a base-or plate 3, arranged between the base of the rail and the tie. and perform-. ing the usual function of. a tie plate. Said plate may be provided with a plurality of downwardly extending ribs 4, adapted to be pressed into the wood fibers to increase the anchorage of the tie plate on the tie. It -'is provided further with a pair of jaws 5, 6,

' which are preferably integral therewith and arranged at or near opposite cd'rners. thereof. Said jaws are adapted to fit over the rail base when the device is in operative position, as shown particularly in Fig. 1. The

adjacent corners of sand jaws are cut away or beveled, as shown at the points 7, 8, the distance betweenthese beveled portions be- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed Marcher, 1913. Serial No. 757,193.

is of 'course,not limited to- COMBINATION TIE-PLATE, RAIL-A NCHOR, AND RAIL-BRACE.

PatcntedAur. 19,1 913.

ing somewhat greater than the width of the rail base. The openings of the jaws are spending sides of the vrail base which they are intended to fit, being about as shownin pla teto'the base thereof, said tie plate being permit the rail base to be cleared bythe beveled corners of the jaws 5, 6, and the tie plate being. thereafter moved .around to the position shown in Fig. 2. Said tie plate is provided on one side with arib'orshoulder 9against which one side of the rail base abuts. It is mainly because of this shoulder that theloosely fitting jaws are provided; otherwise, the device could not he showed around to the desired position of finfxl'adjustment. After making said final .adjust ment, the jaws, which may be assumed to be the top of the rail base, as shown infiill' lines in Fig. 1. .In this position, the jaw (3 fits snugly over the which it embraces. 'lhe jaw 5 is under-cut, however,-so as.to provide a clearance be tween the edge of the railbase and the adwall' isarranged somewhat diagonally,

the shoulder 9 and to firmly bind the same by preventing creeping. In order to prevent a rearward movement of the wedge and abase, a spike 11, which may be a standard spike, is driven through a suitably-arranged opening in the tie plate and abuts-against the end of the wedge, thereby'positively locking. the latter in position. Additional spikes 12, 13 are driven through openings in the opposite side of the tie plate, therebyventing twisting thereof. With the ar rangement. of partsshown, the tie-1s pretain the proper gage and alinement-of the rails. The shoulder 9 is arranged preferablyagainst the outer edge of therail, whereby said shoulder and jaw 6 prevent the rail from spreadingf For this purpose, the device inay be designed in rightand left-hand structures. The j aws also prevent overturnoriginally somewhat larger than the correapplied first in a diagonal position so as toventd from skewing, and thus helps main dotted lines in Fig. 1. Accordingly, the de- 4 vice may be very readily'ap'plied to the rail by lifting the latter and adjusting the tie malleable iron, are hammereddown onto portion of the rail base jflcent vertical wall thereof. Said'vertical \\-'herel3y.a suitable wedge or key 10 may be driven therein to crowd the rail agalnst' between said shoulder and said wedge, thereconsequent loosening of the hold on the rail firmly holding the latter to the tie and preeither ingof the rail. Said jaws, as seen, are adapted to overlie the upper surface of the rail to a considerable extent, thereby increasing their effectiveness in this respect. Any tendency of the rail to creep in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 2 will cause an increase in the wedging 'engagement. Creeping is also prevented in the opposite direction, because of the firm frictional hold of the parts, which is insured by the po'sitive locking of the Wedge 10 in position. Said wedge cannot become loosened, by vibration or contraction of the rail. .Y

The rail anchor and tie plate, after being applied to the rail, will not fall off when the rail is subsequently elemted''in 'replae v ing the'ties; This is an-advantageous feature,'as it saves careful i'eadjusting of the tie plates on the new ties. The rail anchor is constructed preferably of malleable iron,

' 5 by, der'ailnientsf Gopies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents;

' I'arnawa're thatvariouschan'ges may be Scrib'd'herin, w'i'thoutdeparting from the spirit of the ihventio'n.

made' i'n the details of the construction de- Accord ngly, I notIli'mitQn'ij s'elf to the, embodiment dis- 'cl0sed,f*b1it' desire to cover whatever modifications thereof'fall within the 'scopeof the.

append ed claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I'claim as new and desire to secure by Let- "ters Patent 01 the UnitedState's is: a

1. In combination, a tie plate, a pair of opposed. rail gripping jaws thereon, one of said jaws being arranged in advance of the other, ashoulder on one side of said tie plate adapted to bear against the edge of the rail base, a wedge fitting within the on the side opposite said shoulder, said wedge serving to crowd the .rail base against said shoulder and to firmly grip the same, and means for positively locking said wedge against a movement which would cause it to loosen its grip. v

2. In a device of the ciassdescribed, a plate having sharp ribs on the under side thereof adapted to be pressed into a tie, a rail gripping jaw on each side of said plate, said jaws beingfarranged at opposite cor- ,nersof said plate-and having their adjacent corners. cut away to provide a clearance bev tween-themsomewhat in excess of the width of the rail'base, a shoulder on one side of said tie v late extending from the adjacent jaw to t e end of said plate, said shoulder having a pair of spike openings therein, an

additional spike opening on' the opposite side of said plate adjacent to the other jaw,

and a wedge adapted to be received within said other jaw'and to bear against the adjacent'side of the rail base, the large end ofsaid wedge. terminating at said lastmentioned spike opening.

In'witness whereof, I have hereuntosubscribed my name-in the presence of two wit- FRANCIS M. SMITH; Witnesses:

F. C. REAGAN, C. P. 'Lmnans. 

